1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector and to a mold for molding a housing of the electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector having a housing molded with an improved mold wherein terminals of the electrical connector are reliably positioned in the housing.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional electrical connector, as indicated in FIG. 9, is seated in a mold 7. The conventional connector provides a dielectric housing 8 and a plurality of terminals 9 secured in the housing 8. The housing 8 is converted T-shaped and has an upper blade 82. The terminals 9 each have an engaging portion 93 arranged along two opposite sides of the upper blade 82 for electrically contacting with corresponding contacts of a complementary connector (not shown). The engaging portions 93 are substantially flush with the opposite sides of the upper blade 82. The mold 7 provides a pair of walls 70 cooperating with each other to confine a slot 71 therebetween for forming the upper blade 82 with the imbedded engaging portions 93 of the terminals 9. When molten plastic is injected into the mold 7, each engaging portion 93 merely abuts against the walls 70, without any means to catch lateral sides of the engaging portions 93 for restricting lateral movement of the engaging portions 93. Such lateral movement of the engaging portions 93 causes extra molten plastic to deposit on contacting surfaces of the engaging portions 93 which are used to electrically press against the contacts of the complementary connector. In addition, the longlitudinal upper blade 82 deflects while moltenplastic is cooling so that coplanarity of the engaging portions 93 of the same side of the upper blade 82 is degraded. Accordingly, the deformed engaging portions 93 cannot reliably contact with the contacts of the complementary connector.
One object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having terminals accurately secured in position.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mold for molding a housing of an electrical connector whereby the degree of deformation and coplanarity of terminals is improved.
In order to achieve the objects set forth above, an electrical connector includes a dielectric housing which has a base and a dielectric tongue projecting upwardly from the base, a plurality of terminals insert molded in the tongue, and a pair of sidewalls. Each terminal has a body secured on a side of the tongue with an engaging surface facing outwardly for electrically engaging with a contact of a complementary connector, a tail extending downwardly from the body and embedded in the base with a soldering section protruding from the base for soldering on a printed circuit board, and a head extending upwardly from the body and embedded in the tongue. The tongue defines a plurality of apertures in opposite sides thereof alternating with the bodies of the terminals. The apertures located at one side of the tongue are above those located at the other side of tongue for ensuring the tongue to endure mating force exerted thereon.
The present invention also discloses a mold which has two halves each having a retaining wall, an upper finger, and a lower finger. The retaining walls cooperate to define a recess therebetween for receiving the bodies of the terminals with the engaging surfaces thereof abutting against corresponding retaining walls. A plurality of positioning blocks formed on each half of the mold extends into the recess to catch lateral sides of the terminals for positioning the terminals when the terminals are subject to insert molding process.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.